Alan Lakey, director at Highclere Financial Services and CIExpert (pictured), has been given the Barnard Award by insurer Scottish Widows.
The award was a “wonderful surprise” Lakey said.
The insurer established the award in partnership with the family of Dr Barnard, the founder of critical illness insurance, to recognise individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the protection market.
Lakey received the award during the Dr Marius Barnard Recognition Event that took place at the Gherkin in London yesterday. The award was presented by Naudene Leisegang, daughter of Dr Barnard. The first critical illness policy, then known as a dreaded disease policy, was launched on 6 August – Leisegang’s birthday 41 years ago in South Africa.
Introducing the award, Scottish Widows protection director Rose St Louis praised Lakey for his commitment towards critical illness.
“The person who wins this award today really deserves this recognition of their commitment to their impact on the protection market and specifically in the area of critical illness – for the long-standing promotion and challenge to critical illness, to helping advisers have confident conversations about critical illness, for helping providers benchmark and enhance their products against the latest medical definitions, to ensure fair customer value and quality offerings,” St Louis said.
She said Lakey deserved recognition, adding: “Over the past year for the critical thinking report that gave great insight into protection and what customers and advisers really, really think.
“On a personal level I see this individual consistently displaying passion for doing the right thing, championing the writing.”
Earlier today, Lakey told Health & Protection: “As you know, Marius Barnard persuaded Crusader Insurance in South Africa to introduce the first ever critical illness plan in the 1980s.
“Critical illness is the one financial protection plan that everybody can have and should have, subject to health, and has proven a big attraction with consumers.
“I have specialised in CIC since the early 1990s when mainstream insurers such as Norwich Union and Standard Life introduced their adviser-distributed plans.
“It was this specialisation which resulted in the launch of CIExpert – designed to ease the adviser burden of comparing the myriad plans.
“It was a wonderful surprise to receive the award and also to meet Marius Barnard’s daughter.”